The product, "Throne Dock" is an iPhone/Android docking station inspired by the hugely popular HBO series, "Game of Thrones". At first, it seems like a good idea: "Let your friends and coworkers tremble at the sight of your Throne Dock."

But then HBO intervened. nuPROTO's updates tell the story:

Due to a cease and desist letter from HBO we are pulling the product until we can work something out with HBO. Keep checking our site and blog for an update of this matter. Thanks for the interest and please check out our other product development services and other products.

And then:

HBO declined our offer to license the throne charging station because another company has licensed the idea of a throne charging station. Money will be refunded to those few who bought this product and we apologize if anyone thought this was anything more than inspired fan art work.(PS. we are working on something better)

So it goes. The moral of the story here is that just because you can design something, you don't always have the legal right to do so. Our advice: be creative, be unique and always build your own thing.

Kerry Stevenson, aka "General Fabb" has been writing Fabbaloo posts since he launched the venture in 2007, with an intention to promote and grow the incredible technology of 3D printing across the world. So far, it seems to be working!

Fabbaloo is a daily online publication focusing on the 3D print and additive manufacturing industries. We provide deeper analysis of developments in current and future technologies as well as corporate matters. If there’s something happening in 3D technologies, especially FDM, SLA, SLS and Stereolithography, we’ll have an opinion about it.